


Taste of Love

by GoldenTruth813



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, Banter, Bottom Teddy Lupin, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Communication, Dirty Talk, Established Relationship, Harry Potter Next Generation, Implied Switching, Kink Discovery, Kink Exploration, Light Dom/sub, Living Together, M/M, Magical Empath Teddy, Praise Kink, Quidditch Player James Sirius Potter, Top James Sirius Potter, Trust, Unspeakables (Harry Potter), Wandless Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:01:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24843490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenTruth813/pseuds/GoldenTruth813
Summary: There are several moments in Teddy’s life he knows he won’t ever forget. The day Harry first took him flying and he wet his trousers. Being sorted at Hogwarts. Making Head Boy. Realizing he was pansexual. Being accepted as an Unspeakable.This is one of those moments. His dick gets hard so fast it almost hurts, and without even consciously deciding to do so he arches his hips up, letting out a little moan.James hums, kissing his way up the side of Teddy’s neck and across the sharp curve of his jawline up towards his ear. “You wanna be my good boy?”
Relationships: Teddy Lupin/James Sirius Potter
Comments: 53
Kudos: 414





	Taste of Love

**Author's Note:**

> This idea sprung up from a discussion on the Next Gen Server where wheezyismyking proposed an awkward Domcom scenario and all I could imagine was James realizing Teddy likes to be a little submissive in bed. This ended up a lot more feelsy than humorish but thats kind of my brand so im not surprised.
> 
> Thank you whiskyandwildflowers for the quick and amazing beta!

Teddy knows James is coming home a full eight and a half seconds before the crack of Apparition sounds. 

He can _feel_ the ripple of James’s magic crossing through the complex system of wards that surround his cottage. Teddy knows James’s magic anywhere—warmer than a summer day and crackling with power. Because Teddy can _feel_ magic.

He’s been able to feel it for as long as he can remember. Just one more thing in a long list of things that makes Teddy _different_. As a teenager at Hogwarts it was hell, constantly aware of the crackle of magic around him—aware of people’s good or bad intentions and the secrets not even their magic could keep.

The older he got, the more control he got over the sensitivity. He can shut it out now when he tries, but it took a lot of practice and a lot of training. The Department of Mysteries calls Teddy’s abilities a gift. Teddy isn’t so sure some days. 

He spends most days shut up on a floor of the Ministry that on paper _doesn’t exist_ , experimenting with magic in ways he’s not allowed to talk about, and when he leaves he has to pretend none of that is real. 

Harry knows what Teddy does. Of course he does. Harry knows everything. As does Aunt Hermione. But none of them _talk_ about it. They’re not allowed to. The contract Teddy signed makes it impossible for him to talk about even if he wanted to, his mouth literally spelled silent. One day he’ll be able to tell someone—maybe. He made sure when he took the job that he had it written into the contract that if he ever bonded he could tell his spouse. The idea had been Harry’s. At the time he’d been seventeen, fresh off a breakup with Victoire and just out of Hogwarts, so bonding himself to someone else was the last thing on his mind. But as in all things, Teddy trusted Harry and put the request in with his job acceptance.

Teddy’s twenty-six now and while that’s hardly old in wizarding years, he feels every one of those years in his soul. The thing no one tells you about magic—the thing people who can’t sense it don’t realize—is that it comes with a cost. A cost Tedy can see and feel. It’s not _bad_ but it is exhausting.

“Honey, I’m home,” James chirps, interrupting Teddy’s thoughts as he Apparates into the center of the kitchen. 

He’s still wearing his training robes—soaked from the rain and caked with mud. Mud that is cascading in an avalanche on Teddy’s freshly polished floor.

“I thought we talked about Apparating directly into the shower when this sort of thing happens,” Teddy says, eyeing the growing mess on the floor.

“Did we? My goodness it must have slipped my mind,” James says with a very put-on air of innocence. He winks at Teddy as he shrugs off his robes, dropping his broom to the floor beside them and making even more of a mess.

“So dirty,” Teddy groans.

“We have magic, Teds,” James laughs, shaking his head and sending droplets of water flying from his auburn curls. He looks like a cat that’s just come out of the rain and Teddy’s stomach flips.

He’s been dating James for nine months, living together for one, and the novelty of being allowed to look at James as long as he pleases hasn’t worn off yet. He’s probably also still in the rose-coloured glasses phase, since he’s even finding James destroying the clean kitchen with his filthy Quidditch gear endearing. Everything about James is endearing.

“Magic doesn’t get things clean the same way.”

“Oh, Merlin. Now you sound like Dad,” James laughs, kicking off his boots and walking towards Teddy.

James is still dripping wet, curls hanging heavy around his eyes and his thin underclothes clinging to every inch of James’s Quidditch-toned body.

“Harry is usually right, you know. You just don't like to admit it because he’s your dad.”

“Lies,” James snorts, trying but failing to not smile. James always smiles when he lies, one of the many reasons he is quite literally the worst liar in the entire world.

“I’m sorry me being the bearer of truth wounds your ego,” Teddy laughs, already feeling lighter in the five minutes since James got home.

At first Teddy’d been afraid that living with James and not being able to talk about work would be awful, but it’s been the opposite. Being with James every moment he’s not at work is, well—incredible. In those moments away from his job, he doesn’t feel like he’s pretending. In fact, it's those moments with James where Teddy feels most himself. Being with James makes everything better, easier. The weight of his own responsibilities and his awareness of the things that make him different fade away around James. They always have.

James has always possessed a unique ability to make people feel good about themselves and Teddy is no exception.

“Oh fuck off and hug me,” James grumbles, weaseling his way into Teddy’s arms as Teddy opens them, immediately shoving his head beneath Teddy’s chin and nuzzling into his chest. “Mmm, much better.”

Teddy exhales a slow breath, wrapping his arms around James and pulling him close. James is right, it is better.

“Floor is still a mess,” Teddy says.

James half-shrugs. “Can’t hug you from the shower can I?”

_Oh._

“No, you can’t,” Teddy agrees, hoping the little crack in his voice isn’t noticeable. James is always doing that, just being so painfully honest with how much he desires affection from Teddy. Teddy doesn’t know how James can just walk around with his heart on his sleeve all the bloody time like that.

“Jamie, you’ve fucking freezing,” Teddy gasps as his hands slip beneath James’s wet t-shirt and make contact with ice cold flesh.

“Yeah, I’m shit at warming charms.”

“You do realize the team has someone who can help you with that.”

James shakes his head, pressing himself further into Teddy. “Takes too much time. I was busy.”

Teddy can do nothing but snort his disbelief. James’s opinion can hardly be trusted there. James would choose catching the Snitch over taking his last breath. There’s nothing in the world James loves more than Quidditch, and Teddy’s greatest fear is James one day risking too much for the game he loves. It’s a fear he keeps locked away, unwilling to ever stifle James’s love of the game.

Teddy’s not much for flying but he grew up watching Harry and Ginny in the back garden, or watching Ginny play professionally. They were both amazing. Ginny was all practiced skill innate talent and Harry was nothing short of a marvel.

James is something else entirely. James wasn’t born to walk, but fly. He’s wicked fast, and his ability to spot the Snitch in record time has already led Puddlemere to their best season in nearly a century. Some people even whisper they think James is better than Victor Krum. Teddy doesn’t think it, he knows it.

James is absolutely breathtaking on a broom.

He’s also currently shaking in Teddy’s arms, absolutely freezing to the touch. 

“Why aren’t you wearing your thermals?” Teddy asks, plucking at the thin t-shirt James is wearing.

“Extra ounces Teddy. Didn’t want it to slow me down.”

“Bloody stubborn arsehole,” Teddy grumbles, pulling back to get a good look at James’s face. Sure enough, his cheeks are wind-chapped and pink and the tip of his cute freckled nose is turning blue.

“Go take a hot shower right now, you bellend.” 

“Yes, sir,” James grins, giving Teddy a mock salute before stripping naked in the middle of the kitchen without a shred of self-consciousness. Then again, James has nothing to be self-conscious about. Not only is he barely twenty, he’s got abs hard enough to bounce a Quaffle off and thick, muscled thighs that do nothing but grip a broom for eight hours a day. Even his muscles have muscles. Every inch of him is taut and trim. He’s a good head shorter than Teddy with a naturally lithe build that he’s built up with non-stop training.

The freckles that once kissed his shoulders in the summer have faded to a dusting now that it’s winter and there’s no glorious sun to shine down on them, but Teddy enjoys them now as much as he did then. Besides, James has plenty of freckles in other places—across the breadth of his muscled back, down the swell of his pert arse, and even on the inside of his thighs. Then there are the ones that dust across the bridge of his nose lighting it up like the night sky. He’s even got them on his ears.

James has freckles everywhere and Teddy loves them. He loves everything about James.

“Go shower, now,” Teddy grunts, breathing through his nose to swell his own erratic heartbeat. James knows Teddy loves him. They’ve said it before. But there’s a difference between I Love You and _I Love You_. The latter of which thumps in Teddy’s heart more and more lately.

He looks at James and knows this is it for him—that James is it.

But James is so bloody young. He has his entire life ahead of him. And Teddy’s got, well—a long life too. But it’s a life he wants to spend in his little cottage in the middle of nowhere because living too close to other wizarding villages takes too much of a toll, and Teddy doesn’t like hiding his Metamorphmagus abilities from Muggles. He doesn’t like hiding from anyone. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to hide anything from James. Not much anyway. There are still some things that feel a little big to give voice too. Yet. 

For now, James doesn’t seem to mind. He’s never indicated he’s anything but happy about their living situation. As a teenager he loved to sneak away from his parents and spend a week or two with Teddy during the summers eating all his food and daydreaming about being of age and a famous Quidditch player. When they officially started dating he took to Teddy’s home like it was his own long before they moved in together—stockpiling his disgusting protein shakes alongside the packets of Pepper Imps he bought by the case. 

In fact, James has never seemed to mind living in the middle of fucking nowhere surrounded by nothing but birds and frogs and the wild mushrooms and berries Teddy likes to gather in the spring. If he hated it Teddy would know because James can’t keep a secret for shit. He’s got the most expressive face Teddy’s ever seen. But just because he doesn’t hate it doesn’t mean James wants this forever—wants _him_ forever. 

There are so many professional leagues clamoring to have James on their team despite the fact that he's under contract for the next three years. There’s also talk he’ll play in the World Cup next year even though this is only his first season on a professional team. 

James was born for that life—born to be the center of attention—and Teddy can’t fathom that he’s ready to settle down and tie himself to Teddy for the rest of their very long wizarding lives. So Teddy bites back the longing he feels watching James shimmy out of his trousers. 

“I’ll heat you up some supper if you hurry up. Just shower, you show-off.”

“You saying my body is something worth showing off?” James asks, kicking off the trousers and running a finger down his chest. 

Teddy grabs the nearest thing he can—a tea towel with Harry’s face on it that he got in a white elephant gift exchange at the Potters for Christmas last year—and chucks it at his face. Of course, James isn’t the best Seeker in a century for nothing, and his hand is out and snatching the towel midair before it’s anywhere near his face. 

“Just shut the fuck up and shower, Potter,” Teddy grumbles, feeling his cheeks warm. He was under the impression that dating James might make his crush better. It hasn’t. It’s so much bloody worse. 

James’s mere existence is distracting as fuck. 

“Oh, a curse word and a surname. I love when you get mouthy,” James teases, giving Teddy one last sultry look that is unfairly effective before Disapparating with an audible pop. 

The air around him crackles with the residue of James’s magic, and Teddy closes his eyes and inhales slowly. Teddy’s been working on developing his other senses in regards to magic through some pretty wild experiments in the Department of Mysteries and more than a few trips in a sensory deprivation tank. He knows it's working now because the air tastes faintly of wood. It’s not the first time Teddy’s noticed the taste, but it’s by far the strongest it's ever been.

So far Teddy hasn’t been able to smell or taste anyone else’s magic aside from Harry. But Harry’s the most powerful wizard alive, so that’s not so surprising. His magic crackles through the air, and tastes faintly of treacle. 

But James—James’s magic is something else entirely. Where Harry’s magic feels bright and wild, James’s is earthy and deep—like the roots of an oak tree. There’s something special about James’s magic, something that makes Teddy’s own magic itch to reach out for him. It reminds Teddy of the weeks he spent studying ley lines at Stonehenge when he first joined the Ministry. 

James’s magic is strong and steady—grounding. It’s as unshakable as James himself.

Teddy loses track of how long he spends standing there in the middle of the kitchen, chasing the scent of James’s magic. Luckily for him James is a slow sod in the shower, so once Teddy gets his wits about him he’s still got plenty of time to banish James’s muddy Quidditch gear to the laundry bin and warm up the leftover curry from last night before James reappears.

By the time James is sauntering back into the living room—dressed in a pair of joggers that are so thin they should be illegal and Teddy’s favourite yellow jumper, too big on James and hanging off one shoulder to reveal a smattering of freckles at his collar bone—Teddy’s got the wireless on low in the background and James’s plate of food on the coffee table under a stasis charm to keep it warm.

“You made me food,” James says, tucking a damp curl behind his ear.

“Just heated up some leftovers. Nothing special,” Teddy mumbles, resisting the urge to fiddle with his fingers.

“Everything you do is special,” James says easily, dropping a kiss to the top of Teddy's head before grabbing his plate and plopping on the couch beside Teddy. He shoves his cold feet under Teddy’s arse and grins.

“You know we have something called socks that helps with cold toes,” Teddy says, which is a fuck ton easier to say than _why are you so perfect_. “In fact, there’s an entire drawer full of them.”

“Socks are no substitute for a warm arse,” James says with a tone of such seriousness it’s impossible not to be charmed, even if there are bony toes digging into his arse.

“You’re bloody ridiculous,” Teddy laughs as James wiggles his ice cold toes.

“Mmm, and you fucking love me,” James says, taking a huge bite.

Teddy doesn’t deny it. They both know it’s true. 

“So how was practice?” Teddy asks. He loves hearing about James’s day. Teddy might not be a fan of flying himself but he loves Quidditch, especially when James is the one playing it. 

“Was alright. Davies just needs to collect his head from his arse and stop throwing wide. And don’t get me started on Woods. Just because he’s got a girlfriend now his head is in the clouds. The absolute tosspot let me get knocked off my broom by a fucking Bludger because he was too busy staring at Whitle’s arse.”

“I thought they were trying to keep their relationship a secret,” Teddy says, resting his hand on James’s ankle. 

James nods, chewing thoughtfully before waggling his fork in Teddy’s direction and sending a piece of chicken flying into his lap. 

“That’s what I said!” James yells when he’s finished chewing. “We all know if the coach finds out he’s benching one of them, and between you and me it’ll be Whittle, so he really ought to be more careful.”

Teddy picks up his wand off the edge of the sofa and Vanishes the chicken. Sometimes keeping up with James’s teammates reminds him of Hogwarts. James is by far the youngest on his team, but you wouldn’t know it from the way most of them spend their free time clubbing and dating and living it up. Sometimes Teddy’s surprised James doesn’t join them. 

“You didn’t get hurt when you fell, did you?” He asks, eager for the change of subject. Not that he isn’t riveted by the secret lives of England’s most infamous Quidditch players, but he’s much more interested in James. 

In answer James shrugs. “M’fine. The Healer patched up the—-well, let’s just say I’m fine.”

Teddy’s fingers wrap around James’s ankle giving it a squeeze. “Patched up what, Jamie?”

“Fucking fantastic curry,” James mumbles as he shoves a huge bite into his mouth.

“Not gonna work, sweetheart,” Teddy says, stroking the inside of his ankle. James sighs and Teddy resists the urge to smile in victory. He knows James hates when people worry about him or fuss, which is ironic since he spends every waking moment clamoring for attention until it’s most needed, then he retreats into his shell like a bloody turtle. 

Several long moments pass where James does nothing but shovel curry into his mouth, as if filling it with food will prevent him from having to answer the question. Luckily for Teddy, patience is one of his strongest attributes. 

Sure enough by the time James is setting his empty plate down on the coffee table, Teddy still hasn’t forgotten. 

“So, what got patched up?” Teddy asks, patting his lap. James is always more amenable to spilling his secrets if he’s in Teddy’s lap—something Teddy is not above exploiting at all. 

“Fine, fine,” James grumbles, moving onto his knees and crawling into Teddy’s lap. “You know most people think I’m the biggest pain in the arse in this relationship, but the truth is it’s you.”

Teddy laughs, pleased at the heaviness of James’s weight. “But you love me.”

“A perfectly normal amount,” James finishes, smoothing his hands over Teddy’s stomach. 

“How bad was it? 

“Broken collarbone and dislocated shoulder.”

Teddy winces in sympathy. “Ouch, baby.”

“I caught the Snitch though,” he says, eyes on Teddy. “Even in the rain.”

Teddy ghosts his fingers over the exposed skin at James’s neck. Beneath his fingers the skin tingles with the magic where James’s bones were healed—warm and static. 

“I’m proud of you.”

James flushes, red splotches popping up along the side of his neck and turning his cheeks a rosy pink. The whole world praises James and he takes it with a smile as if it’s his due, not cockiness, really, but an awareness of his own talent. When Teddy praises him though, James blushes so pretty. 

“So I, uh...I met Albus for lunch today at the pub,” James says, voice low. Teddy’s not surprised by the change of subject, not really. James does it when he’s overwhelmed and Teddy’s learned to roll with it. 

“Yeah? How are he and Scorpius?” Teddy asks, still running his fingers over James’s shoulder. James’s eyes flutter shut as he tilts his head to the side, soaking up the touch. 

“Good. As obnoxiously in love as ever. They found a flat in Diagon Alley they’re gonna buy. Close to the apothecary for Albus’s apprenticeship, and Scorpius is doing his by owl.”

“Sounds nice.”

James hums, head lolling forward as Teddy’s fingers inch upward to find their way into James’s hair. James is weak for Teddy playing with his hair, which is another bit of knowledge Teddy uses to his full advantage. 

“You’ll never guess what he told me about their sex life.”

“I find it hard to believe he willingly told you anything about that,” Teddy laughs, dragging his nails over James’s scalp. 

James peers up at Teddy through messy curls and grins. “I can be very persuasive.”

“I tell you that all the time. That’s why Hermione wanted you to go into politics.”

“I’d sooner Avada Kedavra myself than be a politician,” James says, sounding so very much like Harry.

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense all night” Teddy says, rubbing James’s ears between his fingers. “What did Albus tell you?”

James lets out a low groan, head falling forward as Teddy continues to rub.

“Fuck that feels good.”

“Should I stop until you’re done talking?” Teddy asks with a laugh, amused at how pliant James has gone in his lap. He pulls his hands away just to see what James will do.

“You bloody well better not,” James cries, grabbing Teddy’s hands and putting them back in his hair. “You touch, I talk.”

“Yes, sir,” Teddy laughs, pleased with the little rumble of pleasure that rolls out of James’s chest as Teddy runs his fingers through James’s thick waves.

“So, as I was saying, Albus popped around for lunch, even brought takeaway from that place downtown I love with the garlic naan. Naturally, I knew right away he wanted something when he gave me his share of naan. He never shares carbs.”

“Naturally,” Teddy agrees, unsure which one of them is more soothed by his fingers in James’s hair—him or James. “So what did he want?”

“Some advice about theirsex life. It should come as no surprise that he chose his older brother and hero to go to in a time of need.”

“Lily was busy, wasn't she?” Teddy interrupts.

“Fuck you,” James snorts, his body shaking with laughter. “And maybe.”

“I knew it.”

“Not the bloody point. Stop looking so damn smug, Lupin.”

“Alright then, what is the point?” Teddy asks, curling a bit of auburn hair around his finger.

“The point,” James says, jabbing his finger into Teddy’s chest. “Is that he came to me in a time of need and, like the incredible big brother I am, I helped him sort through his troubles. You’ll never guess what it was.”

Teddy hums to show he’s still listening, perfectly aware there’s no need to guess and that James is chomping at the bit to tell him. Sure enough, James barely takes one breath before continuing.

“Well, you know how Scorpius loves to collect obscure books. I guess Flourish and Blotts mixed up his order and sent him a text on the BDSM lifestyle.”

“The what?” Teddy croaks, hand stilling in James’s hair.

“ _I know_ ,” James laughs. “Can you imagine? Albus has so many issues with authority he could fill the Hogwarts library, and Scorpius is too soft to ever be someone’s Dom.”

“Wow,” Teddy mumbles, his cheeks heating.

“That’s exactly what I said. Which is how I ended up with Albus’s share of naan, to be honest. It was a bit less of him sharing it and more like he threw it at my head, but I caught it before it touched the floor. Anyway, I guess Scorpius tried to tell Albus what to do in the bedroom and, well...it didn’t go so well.”

Teddy’s ears are buzzing so loud he can barely hear James talk. Nothing he’s saying is particularly risqué, but Teddy flushes just the same from thinking about it.

Unaware of Teddy’s internal dilemma, James keeps talking. “Can you imagine Scorpius telling Albus what to do in the bedroom, he—wait, why is your hair going all pink?”

“It’s not,” Teddy lies, reaching for a lock of his own hair and pulling it out. Even out of the corner of his eye he can see clear as day it’s a violent shade of fuschia.

“Bollocks,” James says, swatting Teddy’s hand away and running his calloused fingers through Teddy’s hair, the rest of which is now the same alarming shade of pink.

Teddy closes his eyes and breathes through his nose. This is fine. He can make sure this isn’t weird. He just—

“Edward Lupin, do you like BDSM?”

Teddy nearly asphyxiates. Of fucking course James starts with that question. If possible, Teddy squeezes his eyes shut tighter. He’s never told anyone about this. Ever. There are enough things about him that are different; he's never needed to add his sexual desires to that list. Especially since he never thought he’d meet anyone he trusted enough to _want_ those things.

He trusts James though. He trusts him so much it’s a little scary.

He trusts him so much he wants things he absolutely never planned to ask for. In typical James fashion though, James has done the asking first. 

“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never done that sort of thing,” Teddy manages to get out without sounding like a dying Erumpent. It’s not a total lie. He hasn’t ever experimented. He’s thought about it though, especially in regards to James. Nothing too extreme, Teddy’s not really into heavy kinks. But a bit of James taking the lead, James making the decisions and Teddy not having to do or think. It’s a nice thought.

It’s also a complete fantasy.

“Want me to call you, Daddy?” James asks, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

“Oh for the love of Merlin, please don’t,” Teddy groans.

James laughs. “You don’t want to call me, Daddy Potter do you?”

The urge to disapparate rises in Teddy. James isn’t embarrassed about anything, ever. Teddy on the other hand, is not nearly so Gryffindor.

“Fuck no. For fuck’s sake, Jamie.”

“What? It was just a question,” James says, smoothing down a wrinkle in Teddy’s shirt. “But between you and me I’m glad you said no because that makes me think of my dad and I’d rather not think of dad while we fuck.”

Teddy groans, throwing his hands over his face. “ _Jamie_ ”

“Listen, Dad is a pretty handsome chap if you’re into old men with emotional constipation. He’s got hair almost as nice as me, and he’s pretty fit for an old man and—”

“Please stop talking about Harry’s level of attractiveness,” Teddy groans, not sure how much more he can take.

“Alright, alright,” James says, settling his palms on Teddy’s stomach. “But it was something BDSM related you liked, huh?”

Teddy makes a sound that is embarrassingly close to a wail. James apparently takes that as a yes.

“Fantastic. Good starting off point. So probably something a bit more Dom Sub aligned, but no Daddy kink. Is it the harder stuff? Lily said there’s a sex dungeon in Diagon Alley where you can pay a masked man ten Galleons to hit your arse.”

The heels of Teddy’s hands dig into his eyes. He does not even want to know why Lily knows that. She’s sixteen now and will be of age in a few months. but that doesn’t mean Teddy wants to know anything about her sex life.

“Right, so no spanking,” James says, tapping his fingers on Teddy’s abdomen. He seems to have decided this is some sort of guessing game, and once an idea gets into James’s head he’s like a Krup with a bone and there will be no dissuading him. “Is it about bondage? Or maybe a bit of domination or submission.”

“We really don’t need to do this,” Teddy mutters from behind his hands. 

“We really do, especially if it’s got you all flustered. You never get flustered,” James says, slipping his hands beneath Teddy’s shirt to stroke at the skin on either side of his belly button, digging his fingers into the soft flesh. Teddy’s a bit softer around the middle than James (then again, everyone is compared to James and his professional Quidditch player body) but James loves Teddy’s stomach and Teddy loves being touched, so it’s a win-win even if Teddy isn’t sure why James’s hands always end up there.

“You’re impossible,” Teddy sighs, dropping his hands. He’s still embarrassed, but some of that fades away as James touches him. It is just James after all. Teddy can handle this.

“You like impossible,” James says, voice a little quiet. It’s impossible for Teddy not to notice the shift between them, even if he’s not yet sure what it means.

“Yeah, yeah I do,” Teddy agrees, giving James’s thigh a squeeze.

James purses his lips, eyebrows knit together adorably. “Do you, uh...you want me to do things for you?”

“I love everything you do for me, baby.”

“Yeah,” James says softly. “But you know what I mean? Do you want me to be good for you or, uh...you know, submit?”

It’s the closest James has ever come to looking bashful or nervous and it knocks the wind from Teddy’s lungs. He’d been sure this was a joke. He’s not so sure now.

“You’ve never submitted to anyone in your entire life, Jamie.”

James huffs. “I could, if I wanted to.”

“Do you want to?”

“I want to do what you want. You...you’re always doing things for me. I want—” he breaks off, looking frustrated. 

“What do you want?” Teddy asks, rubbing his hand over James’s thigh. 

James inhales sharply, the lamp on the end table flickering. Teddy picks up the scent of burning wood—an accidental bit of magic. It’s been a long time since that happened to James.

“I want you.”

“You have me, baby.”

“I have _part_ of you,” James whispers.

Teddy’s not sure what’s the worst part, the little crack in James’s voice, or the fact that Teddy knows exactly what James means without having to ask.

“You hold so much back,” James says, voice a little shaky. “I thought when we started dating it would be different, but you still...you still do it. I know you can’t tell me about what you do in the Department of Mysteries but—”

“You know about that?” Teddy interrupts, digging his fingers into James’s thigh. “How did you find out? How long have you known?”

James just looks a little sad. “Since the day you accepted. I have eyes, you know. All those Ministry types always coming round to the Headmistresses office to have private meetings with you. Of course they did, you were Head Boy and top of the class. But it was more than that. You’re special. You’ve always been so special, Teddy.” 

Teddy can barely breathe. He’d known there were rumors around Hogwarts, but the Ministry worked hard for plausible deniability when recruiting, and there were always just enough Befuddlement or memory charms that he thought most people didn’t know or couldn’t remember. 

“I kept waiting for you to tell me but...but you didn’t. After a few years I found out that Dad knew too. He said you couldn’t tell me, that I shouldn’t be hurt. _Part of the job, son_ he said, as if I don’t know exactly what it’s like when someone you love is involved with the Ministry. But I thought maybe...maybe you’d find some secret way to tell me, you know? When we were kids we had that secret code, and I thought...well it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid, Jamie.”

“I spent weeks going over the letter of congratulations you sent me when I left Hogwarts. I was sure it had invisible ink or a spell to reveal something only meant for me. Eventually I realized it was just a card. Then we started dating and you never even hinted. But..but it’s okay. Being an Unspeakable is your job and you don’t have to tell me, I get it. I know I can’t really know and that’s okay. They might have you from nine to five, but they don’t get you at home. But this, us...you hold back.”

Teddy swallows, unsure what to say. James isn’t wrong. He just didn’t know James had noticed.

“I know I can be a little pushy sometimes and I’m loud and I hog the blankets, and sometimes I drink the milk out of the carton and I laugh at inappropriate times because it’s easier than other emotions.”

“Jamie.”

James shakes his head. “Let me finish, please. The thing is...I’m not easy. Everything about me, from my family to my fame to the way I want, _need_ attention, isn’t easy. I’m not easy.”

“Easy is boring,” Teddy murmurs, twisting the drawstring from James’s joggers around his finger. He’s not going to lie to James. James is all those things, but somehow it just makes Teddy love him more.

“Exactly,” James says, hands pressing into Teddy’s stomach as he tilts his weight forward. “Easy is so fucking boring. We have that in common. So why do you...why do you keep trying to hide the parts of you that you think are hard to love?”

Teddy’s too gobsmacked to speak, can do nothing but blink.

“I know all about you,Teddy Lupin. I’ve seen you be impatient and short-tempered and pessimistic. Merlin, I’ve even seen you eat B & M beans right out of the tin when you’re too tired to find your wand to heat them and too lazy to do it like a Muggle. You always have ink stains on your fingers, and you’re absolute shit at laundry charms, and when you’re nervous you stir your tea so much the spoon never stops clanking against the china cup.”

“I’m not sure if this is supposed to make me feel better or worse,” Teddy says, at least able to speak now.

“It’s neither. It’s just _you_. When you’re not trying to be something else. I like just Teddy. A lot, actually.”

“Oh,” Teddy breathes, dizzy and confused and so damn in love with James.

“Yeah, oh. You fucking pillock. You’ve got to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m not going anywhere. Potters are stubborn as fuck. You’re stuck with me for as long as you’ll have me. And I can see that look in your eye so whatever it is you’re thinking, you just put a stop to it right now.”

Teddy snaps his mouth shut. Most people think James is like Harry, and he can be. But when it comes to matters of the heart, he’s exactly like his mum—determined and brave.

“Oh, you’re not going to argue with me. Good. About bloody time you admit I’m right.”

“I mean I wouldn’t go that far,” Teddy laughs, looping his arms around James’s waist.

“How far would you go?” James asks, dropping his forehead to Teddy’s. Up this close Teddy can count every one of the fifty-four freckles that dust the bridge of his nose, and see the little flecks of gold in his warm brown eyes. He’s so beautiful.

“I don’t know,” Teddy whispers, unsure why that feels like a confession.

“I promise if you secretly want me to call Daddy or Puppy I won’t judge you.”

Teddy snorts, the corner of his eyes leaking just a little bit, from laughter or tears he’s not even sure. “I told you I don’t have a bloody Daddy kink.”

“Then what do you have?” James asks, letting his hands find their way beneath Teddy’s shirt again. He pushes it up, smoothing his hands down the curve of Teddy’s bare belly. 

“I don’t know,” Teddy says again. It feels ridiculous to say it twice, but he really doesn’t. James is always so sure of everything, sure of himself. Teddy’s not like that.

“You don’t know, or you don’t know how to say?” James asks, smoothing his thumbs down his tummy.

“I—” Teddy pauses, licking his lips. 

“You can tell me, Teddy. You can tell me anything,” James says, voice low and warm. It washes over Teddy, soothing the frayed edges of his nerves. James has such a nice voice.

Teddy opens his mouth but nothing will come out. James doesn’t laugh, just continues to smooth his hands over Teddy’s bare sides. For someone so impatient with his own wants, James is always so patient with Teddy.

“Can I guess?”

A rush of heat floods Teddy’s cheeks as he nods.

“Do you want me on my knees? Want to use me?”

Teddy shakes his head. As much as he loves James on his knees, that’s not the secret ache his heart is longing for.

“You want to tie me up?” James tries instead.

Teddy shakes his head again. “No. No bondage. Nothing heavy.”

“Okay,” James breathes, hooking his thumbs under the hem of Teddy’s t-shirt. Teddy sits up, allowing James to pull it off. “Is it about the submission? You like the idea of a little bit of power play?”

At that Teddy nods, stomach leaping into his throat. For long seconds James is quiet, his eyes searching as they roam over Teddy’s face. He can feel his hair changing colours again, a bit of yellow popping in.

“It’s not me you want to submit, is it?” James asks gently as his hands roam across Teddy’s chest. 

“No,” Teddy whispers, barely able to hear his own voice over the thundering in his ears.

“You want me to be in control, Teds? You want to be good for me? Let me take care of you?”

He doesn’t mean to whimper, really he doesn’t. But one man can only have so much self-restraint with someone like James Potter sitting in their lap saying things like _that_. Teddy slams his eyes shut, embarrassed at the needy sound that fell from his mouth without his permission. 

“Oh, wow,” James exhales.

“I know it’s weird,” Teddy mumbles, eyes still squeezed shut.

“Weird isn’t the word I would use,” James says, then there’s a mouth at Teddy’s throat.

“Fuck.”

James hums, kissing his way up the side of Teddy’s neck and across the sharp curve of his jawline up towards his ear. “You wanna be my good boy?”

There are several moments in Teddy’s life he knows he won’t ever forget. The day Harry first took him flying and he wet his trousers. Being sorted at Hogwarts. Making Head Boy. Realizing he was pansexual. Being accepted as an Unspeakable. 

This is one of those moments. His dick gets hard so fast it almost hurts, and without even consciously deciding to do so he arches his hips up, letting out a little moan.

He doesn’t have the courage to open his eyes and look at James, so he keeps them closed—squeezed shut so tightly spots light up behind his eyelids.

“Teddy.”

Teddy shakes his head, though even he isn’t sure what it’s supposed to mean, so he isn't sure how James is supposed to know either. For a few painful seconds James is quiet, then his warm breath ghosts across the shell of Teddy’s ear.

“So hard for me. Aren’t you a good boy.”

The sound comes out of Teddy’s throat before he can stop it—half-whimper and half-moan.

“Fucking hell,” James whispers. Teddy nearly faints.

“Hey, just breathe, Teddy. It’s just me, yeah? Just Jamie.”

“Just Jamie,” Teddy echoes, slowly opening his eyes. The room seems even brighter than before, a halo of light lit up behind James as he hovers in front of Teddy.

“Hey there, pretty boy.”

Teddy feels the flush spread from the tip of his ears all the way down his chest. “Hi.”

“Just like, for the record..I’m very into this. I’m not sure why you thought I wouldn’t be. We switch all the time. I love to fuck you.”

“It’s not just the fucking part,” Teddy says, blowing out a breath. “I’m just...I’m older than you.”

“So,” James says, as if it doesn’t matter.

“So it’s weird if I want my much younger boyfriend to...to—”

“To what?” James asks, eyes wide and curious.

“To be in control,” Teddy whispers, shocked at how hard it is to say it out loud. 

“You’re not _much_ older than me you pillock. It’s only six years.”

“Fine, it’s not normal if I want my somewhat younger boyfriend to take control in the bedroom. I’m always in control. Always the responsible one. I’m always the one people go to and everyone expects me to have it together all the time.”

“Fuck normal and fuck what other people expect of you.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Teddy breathes, not for the first time envying James’s effortless confidence.

“It is simple. There is no shame in how desperately you want your stunningly handsome and sexy younger man to worship and take care of you.”

Teddy huffs out a soft laugh, resisting the urge to cover his face again. “ _Jamie._ ”

“I’m right and we both know it. The only thing stopping you from getting what you want is you. You gonna let me give you what you want, Teddy?” James reaches down to cup Teddy’s dick as he talks, giving it a squeeze.

“Fuck,” Teddy moans, rocking up into James’s touch. “I don’t know how to do this.”

James gives his dick another squeeze, palming it through his jeans. “You say _Jamie, oh Jamie, please give me the dicking me down of my life and tell me I’m pretty._ ”

This time Teddy’s moan is mixed with laughter. It’s such a James response and Teddy loves him so fucking much.

“Come on, say it,” James says, colour rising high on his cheeks.

“Jamie, fuck me and tell me I’m pretty,” Teddy gets out, somehow not laughing this time.

James’s eyes widen and before Teddy knows what’s happening, James is wrapping his arms around Teddy and sidealong Apparating them straight into their bedroom. Teddy’s not sure if it's the shock of sudden Apparition, or the wave of James’s magic tingling on his skin that has him clinging to James, all he knows is he never wants James to stop touching.

“Mine,” James grunts, slamming their lips together.

It’s all Teddy can do to paw at James’s jumper as he exhales into the kiss, desperately trying to get his hands on some of James’s bare flesh. As if James is reading his mind, James pulls out of the kiss long enough to reach behind his neck and grab the jumper, yanking it off in one go. It ruffles his hair, sending waves of auburn hair into his eyes as he drops down with one hand on either side of Teddy’s head.

“I’m going to make you feel better than anyone ever has.”

“Fuck, Jamie.”

“You know you like it. You like when I get a little dirty don’t you?” James asks, rolling his hips down into Teddy again and leaving Teddy in no doubt about James’s state of arousal.

“You know I do,” Teddy groans. 

“Good, because you haven’t seen anything yet,” James huffs, eyes bright with excitement. He’s got a gleam in his eyes Teddy knows all too well. It’s the same look he gets before he mounts his broom—it’s the look of a man who knows exactly how talented he is. 

It’s a look that has Teddy’s body quivering in anticipation. 

“Yeah, that’s it,” James says, rutting against Teddy as he tries to shake a curl from his eyes. “Look how much you want me already. So fucking eager, aren’t you?”

Words would probably be an appropriate response right now, but the most Teddy can manage is a grunt. James is always mouthy, but most of the time it’s because he knows he’s right or because he knows he’s wrong and he doesn’t want anyone else to. In the bedroom though, James’s bravado shifts into something filthy that makes Teddy ache.

Sex is still new for them. Mostly. In a twist Teddy had never seen coming, James refused to fuck until they’d been dating nearly five months. At first Teddy had assumed James wasn’t sure what he wanted and that was alright, he was good at being patient and sex certaintly wasn’t the only thing he wanted from James. Teddy is starting to suspect James was perfectly sure of what he wanted the entire time.

It was James afraid of having his heart broken.

It was James afraid Teddy might realize James wasn’t what he wanted.

It was James romancing Teddy slow and sweet in a way no one had ever bothered to do before, not to get into his trousers but to get into his heart.

It was James waiting to see if Teddy changed his mind.

James, who has never held any bit of himself or his heart back from Teddy. It’s always Teddy holding back a little bit, holding it inside. Afraid of being too much, afraid of not being caught when he falls.

Teddy’s tired of holding back.

“I love you so much,” Teddy says, the words falling from his lips so easily it’s hard to believe it's the first time he's said them aloud.

“You...say it again,” James says, hips stilling and chest heaving as he hovers above Teddy.

“I love you, Jamie.”

The look that crosses James’s face is nothing short of life altering. Teddy’s seen the look on his face only a few times before—the day he was sorted into Gryffindor, the day he brought victory to his team and the house cup to Hogwarts, and the day he got his Puddlemere United letter in the mail when Teddy’d been over for Sunday roast. It’s a look that says clearly _this is everything I’ve ever wanted_.

It’s a look that makes Teddy feel loved in a way that pierces his very core.

“Took you fucking long enough. I’ve loved you fucking forever,” James laughs, stealing another kiss from Teddy. It’s slower this time, softer, and when James slips his tongue into Teddy’s mouth it sends a shiver down his spine.

“About time you realized whose you were, Lupin,” James whispers into the kiss, deepening it. “Mine. _Mine._.”

James sucks Teddy’s bottom lip into his mouth making it impossible for Teddy to answer in words, but the moan that he makes is hopefully answer enough. James keeps sucking until Teddy’s lip is sore and his dick is so hard it aches, only pulling back to smirk down at Teddy and Vanish the rest of their clothes with a cheeky bit of wandless magic that has Teddy’s entire body quivering as the magic washes over him, sweet and warm.

“Do that again, please,” Teddy whispers, the tingle of James’s magic still in the air.

“We’re already naked. I can’t—oh. The magic,” James whispers, catching on quickly. Teddy’s not surprised. James is wicked smart, people just never seem to notice. Teddy notices. Teddy notices everything about him. “I’ve wondered before, if you could feel my magic. There’s a look you get sometimes. You can’t tell me, can you?”

Teddy shakes his head. He wishes he could. He wants to tell James everything.

“Good thing I don’t need words to find things out then, huh,” James grins, ducking his head and giving Teddy another chaste kiss before crawling down Teddy’s body. He pauses to press a single kiss to the center of his belly then moves lower.

“Spread your legs,” James instructs. “Wider.”

Teddy does as he’s told, eyes on James as he settles at the end of the bed. 

“Good boy.”

It’s ridiculous how much that little phrase makes Teddy flush, but flush he does. For a second he thinks maybe James won’t notice but it’s James so of course he does, his eyebrows raising beneath his hair.

“You like when I tell you what to do?”

Teddy nods quickly. “Yes. But do you...uh, well..do you like it?”

James clicks his tongue. “Being bossy and fucking you are two things I’m very good at. You’re basically catering to my skill set here, sweetheart.”

The warmth that had begun to leave Teddy’s cheeks returns in full force, earning him another smirk from James as he settles back on his heels and drags his hands over Teddy’s thighs. He whispers something too quiet for Teddy to hear, but he sure as fuck feels it.

His ass tingles as the muscles loosen, lube leaking out of his his arse as James digs his fingers into Teddy’s thighs and spreads them wider. It’s not the actual spell that has Teddy gasping, though. It’s James’s magic, raw and deep, coursing through him.

It’s the first time James has done the prep spells wandlessly, and the difference is undeniable. Without a conduit for casting, the roots of magic linger on James’s fingers. Teddy can feel the warmth of the magic as James spreads him open, can sense the raw power still leaking from him as James bends Teddy in half and slides inside.

“Feels so fucking good,” James says, hands caressing up the backs of Teddy’s calves as he brings Teddy’s ankles up to his shoulders.

“Yes,” Teddy gasps. 

“You look so good taking my cock. Look at the way you take me,” James praises, pulling back then thrusting in achingly slow.

“James.”

“You sound pretty saying my name too. So pretty,” James says, thrusting in harder this time as his hands fall down onto the mattress near Teddy’s head, bending him in half.

“Fuck.”

“So flexible, so perfect for this aren’t you?” James murmurs. “You love being beneath me, taking me in so deep, don’t you?”

Teddy wants to say yes, but the only thing that comes out is a guttural moan.

“That’s it, let it out. Be noisy for me. Moan, whine, scream. Show me how good I make you feel ,” James tells him, hair hanging around his face in a way that would make him look angelic if it wasn’t for his filthy mouth.

“You always make me feel good,” Teddy manages to get out, needing James to know.

James’s chest puffs up, his hands fisting in the sheets and his eyes sparkling as he folds Teddy in half even further, not so much to kiss Teddy as to share the same air. His full lips brush over Teddy’s in a not-quite kiss followed by his warm breath.

“I love making you feel good.”

James’s thrusting is slow and short now, his arms shaking with the strain of holding himself above Teddy like this. 

“I love the way you feel. The way you sound. I love everything about you.”

The arousal in Teddy shifts into something different, something _more_.

“Jamie.”

“Yes. Jamie. It’s me. I’m the one you want, aren’t I? The only one to make you feel good. The only one,” James chokes, a sheen of sweat breaking out over his skin as he continues to roll his hips. “I’m the one you want filling you up like this aren’t I?”

“Yes,” Teddy gasps, his every nerve ending lit up with pleasure. He feels caged in by James—surrounded by him, filled with him, the scent of his magic still lingering in the air so Teddy can taste it every time he breathes. Everything is James, and it feels so bloody good he’s surprised he hasn’t passed out.

“Such a good boy,” James says, his bottom lip dragging over Teddy’s cheek. “So good for me.”

The words wash over Teddy, a wave of pleasure so bone-deep he has to slam his eyes shut to keep from coming just from that.

James hums in pleasure, the back of Teddy’s knees falling down to the inside of James’s elbows as James shifts. Then he’s unexpectedly being pulled up as James sits back and the only thing Teddy can think is _fuck James is so strong_ before he’s seated in James’s laps with his dick resting against James’s washboard abs, smearing them with precome.

“Gorgeous,” James breathes, running his hands over Teddy’s back. 

The urge to tell James he’s the beautiful one wells up in Teddy but he bites back the words, remembering his promise.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

James inhales sharply, clearly surprised, then he smiles. “Look at you being such a good, good boy. Letting me tell you how pretty you are.”

Teddy swallows, unused to accepting this kind of praise without deflecting or turning it back around on James. It feels strange. And good. And really bloody overwhelming. 

“I’m going to put my hands on your hips and help you ride my cock. I’m going to see how pretty you look greedily trying to get more of my cock inside of you, gonna watch you moan and know it’s because you want me.”

Teddy bites down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw a bit of blood. 

“Pretty boy?” James murmurs, digging his fingers into the soft flesh of Teddy’s side. 

True to his word, he lifts Teddy up and drops him back down on his cock, filling him up so deep and good. Then he does it again, setting a pace Teddy follows eagerly until he can’t anymore, until his legs are quivering and his dick tingles, and he’s coming on a broken sob.

“Beautiful,” James whispers, threading a hand into Teddy’s hair and pulling in for a kiss.

Teddy whimpers into it, rocking down onto James’s dick as he rides out his orgasm. Every sound he makes James swallows greedily, fingers tightening in Teddy’s hair and the kiss turning filthy.

When he’s done, James lays him out on the messy sheets, rolling him onto his stomach and smoothing hands down the curve of Teddy’s spine. Teddy’s too blissed out to ask what James is doing but he trusts him. It feels so good to not think, to just let James touch and do as he pleases, knowing James will take care of him.

Dimly he’s aware of whispering, the familiar tingle of James’s magic warm and woodsy filling the room, and then James’s lube slicked fingers are at his ass. Teddy’s body is so sensitive he can nothing but shiver as James strokes a finger around his loosened rim. It’s almost too much, but James doesn’t keep at it for long moving his hands away. Teddy doesn’t need to turn his head to know what James is doing—the dirty sounds all too familiar. James’s is stroking himself off, covering his dick in even more lube until it’s dripping over Teddy’s ass.

Still Teddy doesn’t move, content to keep his arms under the pillow and his eyes shut as James moves. Then the sound stops and James is sliding his dick into the crease of Teddy’s ass. It takes a few rolls of James’s hips for Teddy to realize James isn’t missing his arsehole, he’s just fucking into the crease. The faster his hips move, the louder he gets, his fingers digging into Teddy’s arse cheeks hard enough to leave marks as the length of his dick slips through the crack and down in between Teddy’s thighs.

Teddy knows James is close because he’s not talking anymore, his words replaced by pants and moans that echo throughout their bedroom and make Teddy’s toes curl. Before he knows it, James is coming in hot spurts that coat his back and arse. 

There’s another wave of warmth that has Teddy’s skin tingling as James’s performs a cleaning charm. It’s a simple spell, but having James’s magic directed at him again makes pleasure flood Teddy, his limbs heavy and relaxed as he shoves his face into the pillow and sighs. A moment later later James is slipping in bed beside Teddy, sliding an arm and leg under him, and curling protectively around Teddy’s back.

“How do you feel?” James asks, pressing a kiss to Teddy’s nape.

“Bloody fantastic,” Teddy sighs, pretty sure nothing in the world could make him move right now. 

“Good,” James whispers, kissing his nape again as he gives a light squeeze around Teddy’s middle.

Content and warm, Teddy closes his eyes and drifts. The last thing he’s aware of before he falls asleep is the taste of wood on his tongue and fingers in his hair.

Teddy’s never felt so loved.


End file.
